A Solution for the War on Drugs?

February 21, 1992

In the Opinion page article "Needed: Multilateral Attack on Drug Trade," Feb. 6, the author reiterates conventional wisdom on illegal drugs and the international drug smuggling industry: crackdown, eradication, use of military force.

We should know by now that drug use and the multibillion-dollar drug trade are unconventional problems that will eventually call for unconventional solutions.

One obvious solution - a panacea to some, a pariah to others - is to legalize drugs. This one act would destroy all smuggling operations and international drug cartels overnight. The money currently wasted by world governments on attempts to stem the flow of drugs could be spent on social and development programs worldwide - including those concerning substance abuse.